Shock therapy mouth guard



Jan. 18, 1949. J. FREEDLAND 2,459,273

SHOCK THERAPY MOUTH GUARD Filed Nov. 14, 1946 2 E: C M lL INVE/V TOR. JACOB FRE'EDZAND.

ATTORNEK Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOCK THERAPY MOUTH GUARD Jacob Freedland, Detroit, Mich.

Application November 14, 1946, Serial No. 709,722

9 Claims. 1

The present invention pertains to a novel mouth guard to be used in administering shock therapy to psychopathic or psychoneurotic pa tients, During such treatment it has been found that the patient frequently injures his teeth and surrounding structures, causing oral hemorrhage and obstruction of breathing, or bites his tongue or his lips with considerable severity.

The object of the invention is to provide a mouth guard that will prevent such self-injury. Other objects of the invention are to provide various accessories for the purpose of facilitating the treatment, increasing the eifectiveness of the guard, drawing up saliva to prevent same from entering the lungs, and supplying air or oxygen to the patient to aid his respiration.

In the accomplishment of these objects, the device of the invention includes an externally disposed handle which carries a rubbery pad that lie principally between the pper and lower teeth so that no biting is possible. The pad also e tends to both sides of the lower frontal teeth to keep the latter out of contact with the forward lip and the tongue.

A passa is fo d l itud nally i t e upp surface of the pad to permit breathing. As an accessory, tubes may be mounted in the passage for withdrawing the saliva and for circulating air or oxygen through the mouth of the patient.

The external handle of the device is so construeted as to permit the attendant to hold the. handle between his thumb and forefinger and exert pressure with the remaining free fin ers upwardly on the bottom of the chin of the patient. The invention also provides a mechanical clamp attachable to the handle for restraining the chin, thus enabling the operator to apply his entire hand upon the chin and prevent mandible dislocation.

The handle consists of a suitable hard material while the pad may consist of a durable synthetic or natural rubber-like material.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device adjusted in the mouth of a patient;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure Figure 5 is an elevation on the line 55 of Fi ure 2; and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figure 1, 2 and 3 is shown an elongated handle'l consisting of a hard and stiff material which may be synthetic if desired. Around the handle, intermediate its ends, is molded or affixed a rubbery pad 2 which also may consist of a synthetic material. The pad encloses the bottom and vertical sides of the handle and forms a longitudinal passage 3 at the top. The upper surface 4 of the pad is horizontal at opposite sides of the passage 3 to be engaged by the lateral upper teeth A as shown in Figure 1.

At the bottom of the pad are formed a forward arcuate projection 5 and a rear arcuate projection 5, both being transverse of the mouth. The forward projection 5 is inserted between the lower lip B and the anterior lower teeth C, while the projection 6 lies between the latter teeth and the tongue D of the patient. Thus, the teeth C are shielded from contact with the lip and the tongue, and biting by both sets of teeth A, C is prohibited by the insertion of the major portion of the Dad between them. Moreover, the rear portion 1 of the handle I rests upon the tongue and serves as a tongue depressor.

The forward end of the handle l is preferably rved d nward y t 8 o e e t ief st of the attendant while his thumb rests in a dc? p ession 9 rm d th upp u ac of t andle-adjacent to t book 8- The r main n three fingers of the attendant are used to exert n upwa d p e su e beneath th h n f t e patient in order to prevent undesired chin movements ina m ch conside bl t en i reired for t lat er pu pose mechani a d vice for accomplishing the same function is furr hed s an at achm nt- A. downw rd y ex e s bar 1 has its up er e d secure to h ha d by a b t H.- To e lo e end o th ba i ed a lever adapt d to nd b ne th t e h n 0f e p ient. Th members in nd a for example, be of channel section and inserted one within the other at the point of attachment where they are joined by a bolt l3 passed therethrough. The free end of the lever l2 carries a suitable pressure member I 4 adapted to engage beneath the chin of the patient, as illustrated in Figure 1. When this member has been set firmly beneath the chin, the members It] and I2 are locked together by a nut [5 on the bolt [3. The device thus serves as a. clamp on the lower jaw, and the attendant may use his entire hand on the chin to prevent mandible dislocation.

In order to withdraw the saliva and to aid the breathing of the patient, a pair of tubes 16 are set in the corners of the passage 3 andhave their rear ends disposed near the throat of the patient while the forward ends are located outside of the mouth. A source of air or oxygen is connected to the forward end of one of the tubes,

and a means of reduced pressure may be attached, if desired, to the forward end of the other tube in order to circulate air or oxygen through the of the pad. The straps are carried tothe back v of the head where they are joined tightly by Where the cold pack treatment is administered,

means of a buckle i9.

the straps are useful in retaining the guard in the mouth of the patient, so that he will be unable to unfasten the pack blanket with his teeth.

The pad may be readily modified for patients who are unilaterally or completely edentulous. In such cases the sides of the pad are built up to compensate for the missing posterior teeth.

For patients lacking anterior teeth, the lip guard.

and tongue guard may be eliminated, and the air channel 3 is not necessary inasmuch as air space occurs between the upper sets of posterior teeth.

Although a specific "embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What I cailm is:

A shock therapy mouth guard comprising a rigid handle, a rubbery pad mounted thereon between the ends thereof and leaving the rear end portion of the handle exposed, said pad being of a size receivable between the upper and lower molar teeth of a human being, said exposed handle portionbeing positioned to lie over the tongue of the patient, said pad having a longitudinal passage over said handle 2. A shock therapy mouth guard comprising a rigid handle, a rubbery pad mounted thereon between the ends thereof and leaving the rear end portion of the handle exposed, said pad being of a size receivable between the upper and lower 4 enter between the lower forward teeth and the tongue and the other between the lower forward teeth and the lower lip of the patient.

5. A shock therapy mouth. guardv comprising a rigid handle, a rubbery! pad mounted thereon between the ends thereof and leaving the rear end portion of the handle exposed, said pad be vring of a size receivable between the upper and lower molar teeth of a human being, said exposed rigid handle, a rubbery pad mounted thereon between the ends thereof andfleaving the rear molar teeth of a human being, said exposed handle portion being positioned to lie over the tongue of the patient, and a projection from the lower surface of said pad adapted to enter be,- tween the lower forward teeth and the tongue of the patient.

3. A shock therapy mouth guard comprisinga rigid handle, a rubbery pad mounted thereon between the ends thereof and leaving the rear end portion of the handle exposed, said pad being of a size receivable between the upper and lower molar teeth of a human being, said exposed handle portion being positioned to lie over the tongue of the patient, and a pair of spaced projections from the lower surface of said pad, one of said projections being adapted to enter between the lower forward teeth and the tongue and the other between the lower'forward teeth and the lower lip of the patient.

4. A shock therapy mouth guard comprising a rigid handle, a rubbery pad mounted thereon between the ends thereof andleaving the rear end portion of the handle exposed, said pad being of a size receivable between the upper and lower molar teeth of a human being, said exposed handle portion being positioned to lie over the tongue of the patient, said pad having a longitudinal passage over said handle, and a pair of spaced projections from the lower surface-of said pad, one of said projections being adapted to handle portion being positioned to lie over the tongue of the patient, and an adjustable clamp extending downwardly from said handle forward of said pad and adapted to engage beneath the chin of the patient.

6. A shock therapy mouth guard comprising a end portion of the handle exposed, said pad being ,of a size receivable between the upper and lower molar teeth of a human being, said exposed handle portion being positioned to lie over the tongue of the patient, and means for circulating fluid through said pad between the forward and rear ends thereof.

' 7. A shock therapy mouth guard comprising:

a rigid handle, a rubbery pad mounted thereon between the ends thereof and leaving the rear end portion of the handle exposed, said pad being of a size receivable between the upper and lower "molar teeth of a humanbeing, Said exposed" handle portion being positioned to lie over the tongue of the patient, said pad having a longitudinal passage over said handle, and a pair of tubes mounted lengthwise in said passage for circulating fluid through said pad between the forward and rear ends thereof.

8. A shock therapy mouth guard comprising a. rigid handle, a rubbery pad mounted thereon between the ends thereof and leaving the rear end portion of the handle exposed, said pad being of a size receivable between the upper and lower molar teeth of a human being, said exposed handle portion being positioned to lie overthe tongue of the patient, and binding means at: tached to said handle forward of said pad and adapted to pass around the head of the patient.

9. A shock therapy mouth guard comprising a rigid handle, a rubbery pad mounted thereon b-t tween the ends thereof and leaving the rear end portion of the handle, exposed, said pad being of a size receivable between the upper and lower dle forward of said pad and adapted to engage beneath the chin of the patient. 7

JACOB FREEDLAN D.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record-in the A file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Number Date 1,586,499 Worth r May 25, 192 

